Mai Tais and Murder (Sapphic Suspense Collection #9)
Chapter 1
Chapter One
L etting her body float with the gentle ebb and swell of the warm Hawaiian ocean water, Mel Nelson watched the small, colorful fish dart in and around the rocks and sand beneath her. The crystalline water shimmered like liquid diamonds, casting dancing reflections on the coral-studded seafloor below. Schools of butterflyfish, their fins trimmed in electric yellow, darted between patches of purple sea fans that swayed hypnotically in the current. The only sound was the whisper of her breathing through her snorkel. In a way, she was in a special world all her own. Of course, the beach nearby had several people, particularly families, on it, but no one swam near her. She couldn’t remember a time she felt more at peace. Life was simply that good.
Raising her head and treading water in place, she looked across the turquoise water to see the primary reason everything was going so well. Helen Hardy—a pretty, little ash-blonde woman relaxing on a bright yellow beach blanket and reading a book on her Kindle. Recently celebrating her sixty-sixth birthday, which made her only four years younger than Mel, Helen was a beautiful woman. Although she would wave Mel off when she said someone appreciatively watched her walk by, Mel knew it was true. Not for the first time, she wondered how such a bright, cheerful, and downright lovely woman fell for a grumpy, old, retired LAPD police detective, but she was smart enough not to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Helen Hardy loved her, Mel would do everything in her power to keep that going.
As if sensing she was being watched, Helen looked from her Kindle to scan the open water. When her eyes fell on Mel, she smiled. As it did every time, the smile made Mel’s heart skip a beat. Mel lifted her hand to give a quick wave and noticed her diver’s watch showed almost one p.m. Time had flown by while she was snorkeling. With a kick of the flippers on her feet, she propelled herself toward shore. It was time to get out and enjoy one of the sandwiches she knew Helen had packed for them. A cold beer would go nicely to wash it down, but that wasn’t going to happen. Although she would never complain outright, Mel knew Helen wasn’t a fan of how much beer Mel liked to drink, so she subtly curtailed her intake. It was a worthwhile sacrifice, not to mention her doctor would certainly approve.
Once she made landfall, Mel stripped off her fins and made her way through the hot sand to their chosen patch of beach, which sat in a perfect sweet spot. It was far enough from the crowded tourist areas to feel private but close enough to watch the entertaining parade of beachgoers passing by. Towering palm trees cast shifting shadows across their blanket, providing intermittent relief from the March Hawaiian sun.
“How was it?” Helen asked as soon as Mel reached the edge of their space. Helen held out a blue and yellow towel for Mel to take. “Did you see any fish?”
“Loads,” Mel said, wiping her face with the towel. She grinned. “You’d like them. Lots of little, zippy yellow ones.”
Helen laughed. “You’re right, I probably would,” she agreed. “I’m just not sure I will be able to get the hang of breathing through a tube.”
After slipping her snorkel gear into its mesh bag, Mel slumped into one of the two chairs they had brought. It wasn’t easy. The dang thing nearly sat on the ground, and Mel tried not to think about how ungraceful she would look trying to get her stocky body up again. As she got situated, Helen knelt beside the large, soft-sided cooler. “Ready for some lunch? You must be starving after all that swimming around.”
“Actually, yes, I am,” Mel said. “And it’s not so hard once you stop thinking about it.”
Helen looked over her petite, tan shoulder at Mel. “I suppose,” she said. “I brought us turkey on wheat with some potato salad and cut-up pineapple. How does that sound?” Before she could answer, Mel’s stomach rumbled, making Helen’s brown eyes twinkle. “I take that as a positive response.”
Suddenly, Helen’s eyes narrowed. “What?” Mel asked, looking in all directions for any sign of trouble. Old cop habits died hard. “Is something wrong?”
Helen shook her head. “Only that you’re getting burned,” she said, closing the lid to the cooler. “Before we eat, let me put some sunblock on your nose and shoulders at least.”
* * *
Helen reached for the bottle of sunscreen, shaking her head fondly at Mel’s predictable resistance to sun protection. Even in their short time together, Helen had learned the woman acted like a teenager when it came to basic self-care. But that was part of what made Mel endearing. “Hold still,” Helen instructed, squeezing some sunscreen onto her palm. The coconut scent mixed with the salty ocean air as she gently dabbed it onto Mel’s reddening nose. “You’d think after all these years in California, you’d have learned about sun protection.”
Mel wrinkled her nose but submitted to Helen’s touch. “I survived just fine before you came along and mothered me.”
“Survived with skin damage,” Helen murmured, moving to Mel’s shoulders. The skin there was already warm to the touch. “And I’m not mothering you, I’m caring for you. There’s a difference.”
A light breeze carried the sound of children’s laughter from further down the beach, where a family was building a sandcastle. Helen smiled, remembering similar days with her own daughters years ago. The Hawaiian sun was different though. It was more intense than the Maryland beaches near where she grew up. As she massaged the lotion onto Mel’s shoulders, Helen couldn’t help but marvel at how their lives had intertwined. If someone had told her a year ago that she’d be on a Hawaiian vacation with a female ex-detective, she would have laughed them out of the room. Yet here she was, happier than she’d been in decades.
“There,” she said, wiping her hands on a napkin. “Now you won’t look like a lobster at dinner tonight.” She settled onto the beach blanket. “Speaking of which, what do you think about trying that little place we passed while out walking yesterday? The one just down the promenade with all the tiki torches?”
Mel stretched in her low chair, looking relaxed despite the awkward angle. “Sounds good to me. Though I still say we should try that food truck the guy at the front desk recommended.”
“Tomorrow,” Helen promised, reaching for the cooler again. She pulled out their sandwiches and handed one to Mel. A young couple walked past their spot, the woman wearing a barely-there bikini that made Helen momentarily self-conscious about her own more modest swimsuit. But then she caught Mel watching her with that familiar look of appreciation, and her insecurity melted away. It was still amazing how Mel could do that with just a glance.
“You know,” Helen said, opening her sandwich. “Since we only have three days left before we fly home, I was thinking about trying snorkeling tomorrow. If you’re willing to be patient with me.”
Mel’s face lit up. “Really? That would be great! I could show you where all the best fish are.” She took a bite of her sandwich, talking around it in her enthusiasm. “There’s this one spot near those rocks where these colorful fish hang out. You’ll love it.”
“Just promise you won’t laugh when I inevitably panic and forget how to breathe,” Helen said, only half-joking. The idea of breathing through a tube while floating face-down in the ocean was more than a little intimidating.
“I would never,” Mel said solemnly, though her eyes twinkled. “Besides, I’ll be right there with you. Former cop, remember? Trained in rescue and everything.”
Helen shook her head but couldn’t help but smile. “My hero,” she said, her heart warming at the protectiveness in Mel’s voice. It was one of the things she loved most about Mel. Her instinct to keep others safewaswrapped in a gruff exterior that fooled exactly no one who knew her well. They ate in comfortable silence for a while, watching the parade of beach life around them. A man walking his dog, the animal splashing at the water’s edge. An elderly couple holding hands as they collected shells. A group of teenagers playing volleyball further down the beach, their shouts and laughter carrying on the wind.
“We should probably head back soon,” Helen said eventually, noting how the sun had shifted. “Give ourselves time to shower and change before dinner.” She began gathering their lunch things to put in the cooler.
“Already?” Mel said, but Helen could see the slight redness spreading across her shoulders despite the sunscreen.
“Yes, already. Unless you want to go to dinner looking like a tourist who forgot about sunburn?” She stood. “Besides, I thought we might take a walk along the beach later, when it’s cooler. Maybe catch the sunset?”
Mel’s expression softened. “Well, when you put it that way...” She struggled briefly with the low beach chair, cursing once under her breath as she shifted her weight around before managing to stand. Helen pretended not to notice the expletives, just as she always did. As they packed their beach gear, Helen felt a surge of contentment. The vacation had been a splurge, but watching Mel relax and enjoy herself made it worth every penny.
“Ready?” Helen asked, hoisting the cooler while Mel gathered their chairs, the backpack filled with gear, and the blanket.
“Ready,” Mel confirmed, then paused. “And Helen?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for taking care of me. Even when I’m being stubborn about it.”
Helen smiled, reaching out to squeeze Mel’s forearm. “Always,” she said simply. And she meant it.
* * *
Mel shifted the beach chairs in her grip as they made their way across the hot sand, keeping a watchful eye on Helen navigating with the cooler. “Let me take that cooler,” Mel offered, noticing Helen adjusting its weight for the third time.
“I’ve got it,” Helen replied with a determined tone Mel knew so well. “You’re already carrying everything else.”
Mel chuckled, knowing better than to argue. Instead, she found herself admiring how the sunlight caught Helen’s ash-blonde hair. Even after six months together, simple moments like this could still take her breath away. They reached the paved path that led back to their rental apartment, and Mel felt the immediate relief of her feet leaving the scorching sand. The path wound through a meticulously maintained tropical garden that led into the courtyard at the resort where they were staying. The building where they had rented a condo apartment for the week rose before them. A young man on a rental bike whizzed past them, causing Mel to instinctively step closer to Helen. The detective in her never really went away, even on vacation.
“You’re doing it again,” Helen said with a little laugh.
“Doing what?”
“That thing where you try to put yourself between me and any possible threat. Even harmless college kids on bikes.”
Mel felt her face flush, and it wasn’t from the sun. “Force of habit,” she mumbled but smiled when Helen bumped her shoulder affectionately. As they approached their building, Mel noticed a man with disheveled gray hair and a face full of white stubble crossing the courtyard. Wearing a wrinkled Hawaiian shirt, he walked quickly with his head down. Something about his intense focus caught her attention, but Mel refocused on getting them to the elevator, trying to distract herself from automatically profiling their neighbor. She was retired. No more detective work.
“I’m very glad we have an elevator right now,” Helen said as she pressed its button. “Three flights of stairs do not sound appealing.”
Mel nodded. “Especially after I spent hours swimming with the fish,” she said as the elevator arrived with a soft ding. They managed to squeeze themselves and their beach gear inside. As the doors closed, Mel caught a whiff of Helen’s sunscreen. It was a scent she was quickly coming to associate with happiness.
As if sensing Mel’s thoughts, Helen smiled at her. “What are you thinking?”
Caught thinking sappy thoughts that went against her tough exterior, Mel hoped her sunburn covered her blush. “I was thinking,” Mel said as they ascended. “Maybe we could order in tonight instead of going out. That way we wouldn’t have to change out of comfortable clothes.”
Helen raised an eyebrow. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with your shoulders being burned, would it?”
“My shoulders are fine,” Mel insisted, though they were starting to feel warm and tight. “I just thought it might be nice to have a quiet evening in. Watch the sunset from our balcony, maybe open that bottle of wine we bought yesterday.” The elevator opened on their floor, and they made their way down the open-air hallway to their apartment.
The ocean breeze was stronger up there, carrying the sound of distant waves and palm fronds rustling. “That does sound nice,” Helen said as she set down the cooler to fish out their key card. “Though I’m not letting you off the hook about those shoulders. I packed some aloe vera gel, just in case.”
Mel rolled her eyes but felt a familiar warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with sunburn. Helen’s caring nature was one of the things that had first drawn Mel to her.
Inside their apartment, the air conditioning hit them like a welcome wave. Their unit was decorated in typical island style with rattan furniture covered with plush tropical print cushions, local artwork featuring surfers and palm trees on the walls, and gauzy white curtains that billowed in the trade winds whenever they opened the balcony doors. Mel propped the chairs against the wall and stretched, her muscles pleasantly tired from the morning’s swimming.
“I think I’ll go take a quick shower,” Helen said, already headed toward the bedroom. “And change into something fresh, but dining in does sound nice.”
“I’m full of good ideas,” Mel said, smiling at Helen’s answering laugh. Alone in the living room, Mel walked to the sliding glass doors that led to their balcony. The view was nice. Through the end of the courtyard, she could see the ocean stretching to the horizon and palm trees swaying in the breeze. Then again, she could also see into their neighbor’s apartment in the building directly across from them. The man she had seen before in the courtyard was at a desk in what Mel guessed, based on their own apartment, was the space’s second bedroom. He was talking on the phone and gesturing animatedly. Something about his body language suggested tension, but Mel forced herself to look away. She wasn’t on the job anymore. She was on vacation with the woman she loved, and that was all that mattered. The sound of the shower starting in the other room brought a smile to her face. Maybe she’d order some food now and surprise Helen with having dinner ready when she got out. It was the least she could do to thank her for all the little ways she showed she cared.